A compound adjective is created by two or more words that work jointly to modify the same noun; they always appear before the noun they modify, and they are usually joined together by a hyphen (or hyphens). What are compound adjectives also known as?More...

Terror bombing is a military strategy that involves deliberately bombing civilian targets in order to damage enemy morale and elicit panic. During World War II, the legality of area bombardment—the bombing of general regions rather than specific targets—rested on the language of treaties drafted in a time before aerial mass bombardment was possible. Despite diplomatic attempts, such language was not updated until after the war. How have treaties since 1945 treated the targeting of noncombatants?More...

On the night of March 21, 1952, more than 20,000 fans tried to pack into the Cleveland Arena, which had an actual capacity of about half that number. Consequently, authorities shut down that evening's concert, the Moondog Coronation Ball, just minutes into the opening act, Paul Williams and his Hucklebuckers. The show is considered to have been the first major rock concert in history. It was promoted by Alan Freed, the Cleveland disc jockey believed to have coined what term?More...

The son of a German pastor, Richter initially planned to follow in his father's footsteps, but after studying theology at university, he found a new passion in writing. He published two poorly received satirical works before suffering a spiritual crisis that profoundly altered his outlook and writing style. His next book, Die unsichtbare Loge, The Invisible Lodge, a romance published in 1793, was the first of his many works to receive acclaim. Who inspired his pen name, Jean Paul?More...

Quotation of the Day

It is not desirable to cultivate a respect for the law, so much as for the right.

Chichén Itzá, located on Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, is one of the country's biggest and best preserved Mayan ruins. Every year on the Vernal Equinox, the angle of the sunlight hitting the enormous El Castillo pyramid creates a shadow that gives the illusion of a snake slithering down its side. The Mayans believed that this was Kukulcán, the feathered snake god known to the Aztecs as Quetzalcoatl. Tourists converge on the site on the equinox, and visitors enjoy folk dancers, musicians, and poets while they wait for the moment of the serpent's appearance. More...

Babies think logically before they are able to speak, according to a new study which calls into question whether we need language in order to reason. Infants are able to reason using “disjunctive syllogism”, better known as the process of elimination ...More...

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.